Anna Gunn starred as Skyler White on the hit AMC series “Breaking Bad” for the show’s entire run and was on the receiving end of a lot of sexist criticism for the role. The barrage of death threats and misogynistic comments led her to write a scathing op-ed in the New York Times, where she said, “I’m concerned that so many people react to Skyler with such venom. Could it be that they can’t stand a woman who won’t suffer silently or “stand by her man”? That they despise her because she won’t back down or give up? Or because she is, in fact, Walter’s equal?”
Now Gunn is taking her demand for equality to a new film that dips its toes into a world so often dominated by men. “Equity,” directed by Meera Menon (“Farrah Goes Bang”), dives into investment banking’s women.
The film’s official synopsis details the drama: “When Senior investment banker Naomi Bishop (Anna Gunn) is passed over for a promotion at her firm, she fights for the opportunity to take a start-up public, hoping this promising IPO will secure her a place at the firm’s highest level. But when an employee at the start-up raises questions about a possible crack in the company’s walls, Naomi must decide whether to investigate rumors that may compromise the deal, or push forward with the confidence her superiors expect.
Soon Naomi finds herself tangled in a web of deception and office politics and begins to question if there is anyone she can trust. As the IPO draws closer, Naomi sees that the choices she has made for her career have left her very much alone. Forced to reexamine the rules of the cutthroat world she has always loved she finds herself in a fight for her very survival.”
When the film premiered back at the Sundance Film Festival, director Meera Menon revealed “Creating a portrait of a female point of view in an environment that we’ve pretty much exclusively understood through a male perspective — ‘Wall Street,’ ‘Wolf of Wall Street,’ ‘Arbitrage’ — etc. was beyond exciting for me. It felt downright necessary.” She said she wanted people to leave the theater “thinking about the challenges women face in the workforce.”
As is evident from the trailer, women face discrimination, doubt, and sexism in a variety of workplaces. When Naomi’s boss says, “The perception is that you rub people the wrong way” it echoes in the ears of ever woman who has ever been called “difficult” or “aggressive.” When a male colleague hits on Sarah Megan Thomas’ character and Naomi recommends she handle him gently, she responds, “Yeah, I know how this works,” reflecting the commonality of workplace harassment. When Alysia Reiner’s detective is told by her superior’s not to “do anything rash,” the repetitious nature of men doubting a woman’s abilities starts to sound like a broken record.
“Equity” will hit theaters on July 29. Watch the suspenseful trailer below:
